Switch-working mechanism



(No Model.) 2 Smets-Sheet R. W. FARRELL. SWITCH WORKING MEGHANISM.

No. 551,538. Patented Dec. 17, 1895.

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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheer, 2. R. W. PARRBLL. SWITCH WORKING MEHANISM.

No. 551,538. Patented Deo. 17, i895.

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ROBERT lV. FARRELL, OF VINCENNES, NDIANA.

SWITCHQWORKING Wl ECHANlSNl.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,538, dated December 17, 1895. Application lefl November 2l, 1894. Serial No. 529,452. (No model.)

To @ZZ wiz/0712, t may concern/ .Be it known that I, Renner W. FARRELL, of Vincennes, in the county of Knox and State of Indiana, have invented a nenY and lmprovcd Switcli-llf'orking Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in switch-working mechanism; and the obj ect of my invention is to produce a simple positively- 'orking apparatus which may be used in connection with an ordinary switch and switch-stand, and which has tripping devices actuated by a passing train or engine and adapted to close automatically a switch so that there Will be no possibility of the switch remaining open and accidentally side-tracking the train.

To these ends my invention consists of certain Afeatures of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.v

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, Jforming a part of this speciiication, in Which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a plan vienv of the switch and working mechanism embodying my invention, the switch being shown open. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but with the switch closed. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The switch is provided with the usual switchrails and 1l which are used in conjunction with the rails 13 and l1 in the ordinary inanner, the rail 10 being adapted to connect with the main line and the rail 'l1 with a siding7 and the two rails 10 and 11 are connected by the usual switclrbar12 which is pivotally connected with a switch-rod 15 extending laterally beneath the rail 13 and merging in a casing 1G to which it is attached, this casing being formed integral with the spring barrel or cylinder 17, in which is contained the piston 1S connecting with a piston-rod 1Q which projects from the outer end of the spring barrel or casing, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, and is pivn otally connected with the crank of the target 2l, which is of the usual kind7 turning in the customary manner in the switclbstand 22 and having thereon a pivoted'handle or lever by vwhich the target may be turned and the switch operated, the handle being locked so as to hold the switch open or closed by dropping it into the customary notches 24 of the switch-stand Q2.

The piston 1S is normally pressed inn-'ard by a spring 25 which is coiled around the piston-rod 1Q, as shown in Fig. 3. Above the spring-barrel 17 and rigidly secured to it is a bracket 26 on which is pivoted the dog 27 which entends outward at one end beyond the cylinder and has this end notched, as shown at 28, to engage a shoulder 25) on the pistonrod 19, and when the rod is pulled out, as hereinafter described, and the spring' 25 conipressed the dog engages the shoulder and holds the spring compressed until the dog is tripped, as hereinafter spcciiied,

The dog 27 is near its inner end pivotally connected with a rod 30 which is longitudinally slotted, as shown at 3l, to enable it to slide on its pivot in the bracket 30, and on the bar next the bracket 30qu is a loose collar 32, and .around the bar next the collar is a spring Si which presses against the head of the bar, and thus the pressure of the spring normally swings the dog 27 into a position parallel with the piston-rod 19, so that the dog may engage the shoulder 29 on the said piston-rod. The dog 27 is also near its inner end pivotally connected by a curved link 36 With a curved tripping-lever 37, which is fulcruined, as shown at 38, on the bracket 30V and has its free end 3f) adapted to engage the inner end of the dog 27, as shown in Fig. l, and so tilt the dog when the lever is moved and throw it out of engagement with the shoulder 29 oi' the piston-rod.

The lever 37 is pivotally connected with a rod 40 Which extends parallel with the rail 13, and this rod is at one end pivot-ally connected with the crank 4l of a shaft 4t2 which is journaled preferably beneath the trackrails lO and 13 in suitable supports -13 and vhas a striking-arm 4l Which extends substantially parallel with the crank 41. The opposite end of the rod 4:0 is connected with the crank 4G of a shaft i7 which is journaled in supports 4S at the side of the track and is provided With a striking-arm 19 which extends substantially opposite from the crank` 4G.

It will be seen that to open the switch so as to connect with the siding it is necessary IOO to rst have the dog 27 in engagement with the shoulder on the piston-rochas other- Wisc if the tzlrget is turned to throw inward the piston-rod the rod slides in the springbarrel Without actuating the switch.

`When the lever 23 is turned to the outer notch -l, the piston-rod is turned outward, compressing the spring 25, andthe dog 27 flies into engagement with the shoulder 29, so-that when thelevcr is turned inward to open the switch and throw the target, the piston-rod, the dog 27, the spring-barrel 17, and the switch-rod l5 all travel together, and it the lever 23 is throivn into the inner notch the switch will be held in this positionwith the dog in engagement, as just described. Supposing now a train comes along the main track from the side on which the shaft i2 is located, the first wheel of the engine will strike the arin t, tilt the shaft l2 and niove the rod LO longitudinally so that the lever 37 will be similarly actuated Vand its Vend 3f), striking the inner end of the dog, will tilt the dog and throw the dog out of enga-gement ywith the shoulder 2Q; but the piston-rod cannot nieve outward, as it is held by the locked level-23, and. so the tension of the spring 25 is exerted to pull outward the spring-barrel, the rod l5, the switch-bar l2, and the rails l0 and ll, thus-closing the switch. lf the train is coming in the opposite direction7 the arm 4f) is struck and the switch mechanism similarly operated. It Yill be seen, then, that the apparatus always holds the switch closed except when it is set by :first turning the lever to the left to engage the dog 27 ywith the piston-rod and then turning the lever back, in which case the mechanism is sure to be tripped by a passing' train and the switch closed, as above described.

lt will be noticed that when the piston-rod is pulled out to permit the dog 27 to engage the shoulder 20 the pressure oi' the spring' 34 causes the dog to engage the said shoulder, While the same pressure through the niediuni of the link 36 tilts the lever 37 and brings it into position to engage thc inner end of the dog.

piston rod, a tripping lever to tilt the dog, a f

link connecting the' lever and dog, the connecting rod extending paralleluith the track.

and the striking arms on the track to nieve the connecting1 rod, substantially as described'.

L.r The combination, oi the switch rails, a spring device for throwing the saine in one direction, a dog connected to the spring device, a stop to be engaged by the dog, a rod pivoted adjacent to the dog and having one end connected thereto, a spring on the rod adapted to hold the dog normally in position to engage the stop, a tripping lever pivoted adjacent to the spring device and adapted to be actuated from a passing train, said lever having one end adapted to engage the dog and throw the saine out of engagement with the stop, and a link connecting the opposite end oi' the lever with the said dog, substantially f as set forth. f

3. The combination ot' the switch rails, a spring device for throwing the saine in one direction, a lever for moving the rails in the other direction, a stop formed on the lever, a pivoted dog having its rear end adapted to engage the said stop, a tripping lever pivoted adjacent to the dog and having one end adapted to engage one side of the forward end ol' the pivot-ed dog, nieans for actuating said tripping' lever fronl a passing train, and a link coupled at one end to the tripping lever and at its other end to the dog, substantially as set forth.

ROBERT XV. FARRELT). ll'vitnesses:

M. L. SEDDELMEYER, Esco VALK. 

